


Golden Moment

by blankdblank



Series: Prompts/Requests [19]
Category: Real Person Fiction
Genre: Accidental Bonding, Assumed Prank War, Car Accidents, Coma, Drunken Kissing, Friendship/Love, Hidden Secrets, Male-Female Friendship, Penthouse, Unexpected Roommate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2020-06-26 21:54:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19777201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blankdblank/pseuds/blankdblank
Summary: New to New York Richard has thrown himself into work on the heels of a personally troubling year. His new stunning penthouse came with all the frills, though one he wasn't warned about, was you. Just tired from work and daydreaming or is his new place really haunted? The boundaries of friendship are tested as with your patience while learning to cope with what is happening to you both. For a short time you are his best and most painfully kept secret and soon enough he realizes, you were never strangers after all.





	1. Chapter 1

If you look past the wine bottles and scattered boxes from the takeout left about the new penthouse apartment it was quite stunning. Views for miles and a dazzling sunrise and set casting the furniture inside in varied pastels easing a peaceful end or beginning to the day depending on when the giant slob had to be up for work. A time he called the golden moment. True it had been a hell of a year, loss of his mother through a trying film straining all of him and now he would be living with one foot on either side of the ocean. Work had picked up and it was just what he seemed to need at the time, but now he was truly wondering if it was what he needed after all.

It all began last Tuesday, the end of his first month in this apartment, like all buildings this old there were tales about each and his had one hell of a whopper. Quintuple murder back in the roaring twenties and to be truthful, after getting off his latest thriller the notion of living somewhere that was haunted was embarrassingly appealing to him.

One month and nothing, though Tuesday, as he stood on the phone with his agent about his next bout of scripts to comb through arriving in the morning. In a turn right as the sun was setting across the black screen of his tv he saw her, cast on golden light, a leg propped up with the other curled under, a bowl of popcorn in her lap coated with a small towel to protect her short shorts most likely with a peach bra matching her ankle socks. A silent laugh reflected with her head rolling back sending her pitifully tied back curls backwards towards a couch most definitely too plushy to be his.

A sharp turn around brought reality back to him, the dull grey modern couch too painful to sleep on coated in books, papers and trash, another glance back at the screen as the golden moment passed and, nothing, no woman, no popcorn, no laughter, just him and his manager clearing his throat to regain the attention of his sometimes distractible client.

Twice since last Tuesday he had seen her, always in varying stages of dress, mere glimpses of this mystery woman sharing his space, far to young and modernly dressed to be from the twenties. Young and so out of reach all but stirring a possessive growl from him if he swelled on it long enough that he couldn’t speak with her or knew if she was a figment of his imagination due to his dreams now featuring her with a voice not quite sitting right to what he pictures during your brief passing moments.

The first time reflected in his kitchen, this time cast in pink, a smirk eased onto his lips at her silent bopping along to a song he couldn’t read across those tempting lips while she pulled a mystery dish together. Pausing only to climb onto the counter to fetch something from the top shelf in the corner of the counter. After the moment passed out of its pink coating and her reflection vanished curiously Richard neared his shelves and raised to his toes chuckling as he saw a plastic tub down, inside of which were various well past usage of food coloring for desserts making him murmur to himself, “Just what are you baking there, tiger?”

Somehow the nickname feeling right it stuck and the following night on his way back from a press event he paused seeing her curled up on the same couch reflected in his tv in nothing but a large t shirt hugging her pillow excitedly with a stack of movies on the table before her. Slowly he inches closer trying to read the titles only to lose the light with a roll of his eyes making him turn to bed, “Maybe I am losing my fucking mind.” He rumbled tugging at his tie to loosen it.

The following morning, irritatingly early for his alarm his eyes shifted to his alarm clock then over to the wall of windows overlooking the city stirring a realization of why he had woken up so early. Still in his boxers he raced through the apartment back to the living room where he flung the papers from the end of the couch onto the floor to curl his leg in his settling on the cushion, awkwardly he fidgeted his arm on the back of the couch finally shaking his head as the first light began to fill the room.

Bright orange and just a few feet from him, no longer a reflection his lips parted seeing you still in the same shirt, still clutching your pillow but this time crying, presumably puffy and blotchy cheeked on the back end of ugly crying hastily wiping your cheeks making him lean closer, “Why are you crying?” He purred lowly with eyes and tone dripping with concern.

His only answer in an ethereal yet hiccuped voice, “I’m not crying, you are!” Another wipe of your cheek turning your head to face him and in the final burst of light of the sunrise you were gone again. With heart racing his mind reeled at how stunning you were even as a sobbing mess, again he purred to no one but himself, “Why are you crying?” His head shook but still he couldn’t get those hauntingly lilac eyes and white blonde curls over pitch black brows out of his mind. In a daze he took himself back to bed hoping to sleep off whatever this was.

**… *** …**

_Excruciating as always you woke alone in this apartment. Months you had watched your father fade away through chemo and a rushed trip to the hospital later you were forced to finally say goodbye. Always the smiling one, for those months your family had never seen him so happy, and all thanks to you, each dream, whom and fancy of his was followed. Much to your step mother’s irritation, just a few years after your birth mother had died to some odd bug she picked up overseas they caught too late to even diagnose._

_You bore the pain and suffering of others and for all your effort you still lost in the end. Finally he was gone and finally you could cry, you could break down. If this building wasn’t rumored to be haunted it sure was after your months of weeping and mourning alone. Alone in this world save for your brother in law to your late elder sister who died in a car accident months after having your niece, who ironically was just five years younger than you as you were a late surprise from a mid divorce drunken sleepover and then handed over to your father so your mother could travel the world for her job._

_You had tapered off into a lull of sadness, still hurting but able to handle a trip into public without bursting into tears. Somehow you knew you could get through this, you knew there were brighter things ahead somehow. The main clue being after years of hard work and having to skip movie weekends with your niece, who was off to a better high school in a different state you could finally break open the box set of the Hobbit films you had purchased weeks ago knowing your first two days of your long awaited vacation from work could be spent in a Tolkien marathon._

_Several of your teenage crushes were cast with more than a few new faces to add to the list and for weeks you stared at the set longingly in your paths to and from work. Though in reading up on the cast a familiar face as the lead made your heart skip. Richard Armitage was Thorin, so adorably brooding and huggable even in the battle promo pictures and as your anticipation rose that same tempting man slipped in and out of your every dream._

_But the nearer you grew you started to question yourself on how deep you would fall for this series as reflected in the windows you would spot the same brooding figure staring off at the skyline or sprawled across an oddly grey and irritatingly stiff looking couch reading through scripts only to be gone again when you turned your head. First you set your wine down, promising to cut back, even cut drinking out entirely but still you would see him and now more than ever you questioned your sanity as while baking cupcakes you swore you could hear him laugh at your climb onto the counter to fetch your food coloring._

_._

_The big day came and in your favorite oversized t shirt with fuzzy socks hidden under the fuzzy blanket on your lap. In your arms your big plushy pillow you were hugging tightly as the opening scene began. Through the lands of Middle Earth you were brought back and grew misty eyed a few minutes in and you loved each minute of it until the final section of the final movie began, two pauses later and the stabbing in your chest withdrew. Again at the rising of the sun as you were coated in pastel lights you again saw your dream boat out of the corner of your eye, shirtless and seated on the couch with a cushion away from you his low croon asked, “Why are you crying?”_

_Between the heartbreak of watching your lovable Thorin die believing his nephew Kili was safe and that Erebor was won and the imagined man who gave life to the heart shattering moment you had just been weeping over you hiccupped back, “I’m not crying, you are!” Turning your head to give your hallucination a piece of your mind about his continued death scenes his normally translucent face a pale complexion with those hauntingly blue eyes staring right at you overflowing with concern. Not a moment later he was gone as the final flicker of sunlight filled the room fully taking your dream boat along with it._

_Turning your head you looked back at the screen and sniffles feeling tears welling in your eyes to lower your head to it to cry again at the pain of losing both the character and now your imagined version of the actor as well._

*.*

All day you continued your marathon as Richard continued along his schedule, ensuring he would be back home again in time for sunset. More and more you felt a chill building around you and through the Fellowship of the Ring you had to rush out for countless bags of popcorn as your hunger kept creeping up again and again. Dinner crept around again and as you cooked you turned the screen towards the kitchen to keep watching as you cooked.

Table set and covered in food with an opened bottle of wine at your mental fuck it to having the alcohol stir up your imagination again you sat down inhaling deeply as you raised said bottle to your lips for a bitter sip. Right on time the sun gave one last burst of light and at the rushing Brit to lower into the chair beside you, arms rested on the table as you set down the bottle. A finger on his hand dangerously close to reaching out to brush against your hand if he extended it an inch more.

“Hi,” eagerly he blurted out, “I’m-,”

“Richard Armitage.” You answered for him in disbelief.

An elated chuckle left him, “You said my name right!” A glimpse at the window revealed a truck pulling a crane part threatening to block out the sunlight, wetting his lips he turned to face you again, “What’s your name?!”

“Jaqi Pear.”

Nodding at you he blinked as the crane passed his window cutting your meeting short this time. On his feet he rose and turned to head for his laptop in his bedroom, “Jaqi Pear. Let’s see who you are.”

Behind him at the bottle tapping onto the table you jumped up and rushed after him, “Hey!” Through the short hall you passed through the shadow and came out in the sunset again at its final flicker seeing him at something waist high in the corner of your room with a smirk on his face before he vanished again. “What the-,” sighing you turned mumbling, “Fuck it I need more wine.” Trudging back to your paused film and dinner for the night until credits rolled and you would wake to clean up your night before.

**… ***…**

The first page instantly filled with links, under the first one a Wikipedia page with your picture and your birthday, “January 14,” his eyes scanned over to the age, “25..” wetting his lips he opened the link in a second tab and read through, ‘moved from a job in the theater to a show out in Los Angelos that got bumped to a network back in New York. This placed the show in a better time slot doubling the ratings and gaining three films for Pear with her character as lead.’ “Hmm..” scrolling through the page he stopped at the personal life section starting with your birth in England to your mother from there and father from the states, your older sister and then it started to grow dimmer. Delving into the burial for all but your brother in law and niece, both of whom pictured with you at each funeral. That portion ended with a picture of your moving van outside his building making him gasp as it was from when you moved to LA.

“So you must have lived here…” continuing to scroll his heart skipped at the image of a badly crumpled bus and a picture of you fifteen feet from it sprawled across the hood of a car with a crying child in your loosely laying arms. The article reading a distracted driver cut off the bus and survivors shared that you saw a boy on his way to school on his own was in the seat where the truck that crashed into the bus was aimed for.

Flipping back to the first tab his heart was pounding reading through how a neglectful social worker had left the boy to head to school alone for a coffee and smoke break after his mother had wrongfully named him in a robbery three states over after he wouldn’t give her more money. Link after link reading the boy was deaf and was chatting with you about your role in a popular show heavy with asl and deaf cast members, mainly children learning from you, a mother of a deaf child that went to culinary school to teach your son how to bake and cook, as per his dream and then went on to open a small school for other deaf children.

Well wishes and pictures of the care facility you were being kept in after slipping into a coma flooded the pages along with pictures and fan pages with daily check ins from your final two family members with speculation what was going to happen about the next film set to start filming in four months.

“A coma…fuck…” rubbing his face he said, “ok, this isn’t so…weird..” groaning he straightened up, “Yes it fucking is…”

…

A sharp sunrise was missed by you both bringing you both in awkward overlapping positions across your prospective mattresses. A call however tore Richard from bed reminding him of his need to buy some essentials at the check in call from his elder brother Chris. The choice to share this phenomena with his family was clearly skipped and all through the busy store his mind worked out just how he would bring up the situation with you. Uncertain of if the topic would make things worse or if it could somehow help you through it.

**.*.**

_The slamming of the door on the floor above you signaled the late departure of your upstairs neighbor still in med school late for yet another course alerting you to the time. “10 already?” You mumbled climbing onto your knees feeling the heavy comforters slide off your back that were helpless at aiding to your frigid state. Heavily you found your feet and groaned your way into your living room where you froze at the new table and newspapers both crumpled and thrown carelessly around._

_A grunt left you as you stomped into your living room, “Richard!” You mumbled, somehow the man had gotten a key to your apartment and broken in, quite literally trashing the place and leaving a hideous table in your living room. Storming through it you caught glimpses of his same hideous couch until you turned to face yours completely. Handfuls of the papers were clutched and shoved into your recycling cans until you were left with a clean living room, “I’m gonna find where you live and trash your place. Next Ashton Kutcher will be jumping out of my cabinet.”_

_Three bags of trash seated around you after your irritating struggle in opening your door and down the hall to the back elevator for the recycling. A short ride later you walked out across the cement poured ground usually grainy and painful on your feet you mentally commented they must have smoothed it finally after so many complaints. As usual a large grey cat popped out of a set of bushes and trotted back with you to the cans where a tall figure made you shriek and drop your bags._

_Turning sharply the tall janitor to the side in the dated jumpsuit grinned at you seemingly in relief, “Sorry Jo.”_

_Chuckling lowly he replied in thick polish accented english, “No, I have sorry. I thought you had left us.”_

_You shook your head, “No. still here.”_

_He grinned wider bending to grab and toss your bags In the giant can and said, “Glad to hear of it.”_

_Curiously you wished him a good day in return to his farewell and then led the cat back to the elevator, inside which you hit the seventh floor and then yours after. The brief stop on seven freed the cat to halt Rio, the patchwork sweater clad man’s search for said cat as he waved to you repeating the janitor’s comment, “Thank you! Thought you’d left us!”_

_Again you shook your head, “Nope, still here. Bye Tiberius.” The cat meowed in return as the doors shut and you shook your head mumbling, “Strange. I don’t work that often…”_

_Back inside again however your eyes scanned over the room in shock making you squeak at the next layer of trash, dishes and clothing across the apartment. In a furious rage you blazed through the apartment hurling the clothes into the laundry closet then teetered piles of dishes into the kitchen leaving them in the sink until you were certain of having them all and then jumped into filling one side of the sink for soaking. After a few moments of struggling to find where the man had moved your sponge and scrub brush to you tore through the pile adding them to the racks in the washer for a second round of washing for the stubborn ones._

_At the end of the trash bag trail by the door you eyed the final paper you had just found, the title wasn’t what had stopped you but the date. “27th?” Wetting your lips you counted back the days knowing you had gone on vacation on the 4th and were expected back the 20th. Shaking your head you added it to the final bag and then raised the bags in your hands to carry through the door._

_Blinking in shock you eyed your only neighbor’s dog with leash in his jaws waiting for his owner to ready the stroller for her new daughter and their walk through the park down the block inside their place taking up the other half to the floor. In the hall flicking his tail around his sides eagerly yet patiently waiting for the pair with a greeting ear wiggle and tip of his snout for you. The weight lost from your hands made you look down then turn around to look through the doors for the vanished bags of trash. Slowly you crept back inside with tears in your eyes seeing the new layer coating everything and your lip quivered as you saw the large table top calendar with the year 2019 in bold across the top. Across the month he marked out your baking night and a few other sightings, then your movie night marked ‘on the couch’ and then, ‘introduction at the table’ the days were ticked off until he read the 27th ‘apartment cleaned.’_

_Under your breath you whispered, “He’s doing this on purpose.” The statement so preposterous, as how could the man control time or your sanity now assumed to be shattered as you rubbed your face trying not to burst into tears at the unknown forces acting on you. Against your bodily reaction aching to break free you turned to start cleaning up again as you eyed the new pieces of uncomfortable looking furniture. Wondering how you could be projecting the actor into being, and not just that, but four years into the future._

**… ***…**

Shopping went smoothly as it could have on this busy days and back through the crowded elevator with his only neighbor, her dog and three girls Richard teetered his way back to his door where he fumbled his key into the lock and gave it a turn. Blindly he eased it open and passed through, wiggling his key free then turned after closing it with his foot.

A few feet inside and his jaw dropped seeing the clean living room. Curiously he headed for the kitchen where he eyed his dishwasher still running with sponge waiting on the rim of the still half full sink. Heavily he set his bags on the counter he unloaded with brows furrowed at all that had been rearranged. Empty bags were added to his recycling bins he turned to his living room glancing at his watch to double check the time.

.

Hours he had sat on the couch and at the timer on his phone he jumped up at sunset and scoured through the apartment in the golden light wondering where you would pop up. At the absence of your appearance he slumped into the kitchen and grabbed his notebook by the couch with a poorly scrawled timetable he marked down you cleaning and missed sunset.

Two more days was all it took and another trip to the store was made, no word of your improvement was given and he didn’t see you anywhere else in his trips through the building. Across his coffee table he copied his notes on you and stared at it daily wondering just where and when you would pop up again. Three audio books were set up on his schedule to keep him distracted until his next film and when he could hear anything from you again. You were strangers and yet here he was aching at the though of anything happening to you. Hoping for the best he snapped back into his new pattern through the days yet always stealing glances at that calendar as the days kept getting crossed off one by one.

.

Though days had passed and again a bare apartment was what he returned to sending him on a path through it for any sign of a message from you. Nothing but the running washer and dryer was all he got.

For a few days he still got no sightings of you but with the magazines and a few empty cups and blankets he tossed around carelessly so it would be obvious if you had missed one another gain. Three more times he found the room tidied up and even his furniture shifted once until he came back to find one of his carelessly tossed blankets with a dip in it where he guessed you had curled up in his absence.

Strolling past the sleeping spot he gripped the back of his shirt tossing it onto the couch in his path to the shower wondering what he would fix for dinner.

***.***

Days you had been fixing up the messes your invisible stranger had been making and never making it past the front door when it was cleaned up. More and more you felt your heart breaking again assuming you had finally cracked assuming a split personality or something.

Each day you felt less and less like yourself and the owner of this apartment at the daily swapping of pieces of your furniture and belongings. Leaving you in this cold empty penthouse where you found yet another mess after turning around from a load of dishes you had just started now gone. Tears rolled down your cheeks as you knelt on the thick flannel you felt too weak and tired to lift and plopped onto your side sniffling as your eyes clamped shit. Mumbling to yourself another tear rolled down your cheek at the warm pine scent coming from the blanket, “Fine, be a slob.”

Another waft of warm pine flooded around your head snapping your eyes open and raising your head your eyes furrowed at the shirt now under it. Hastily wiping your cheeks you sat up and looked to your overtaken bedroom hearing the shower running.

The shower didn’t last long and by the time you made it through the hallway it had turned off. Timidly you waited in the bedroom hearing a ruffling sound, a few steps later the handle turned and inhaling deeply you saw the actor himself ruffling his towel through his hair. Wide eyed at your full almost lifelike appearance he drew in a breath and readied to say something only for you to shout at him, “What are you doing?!”

“Wha-,” His arms dropped to wrap the towel around his waist taking a step closer to you only making you take two steps back. “I’m not-,”

“Why are you in my apartment?!” His brows inched up, “Just because you’re famous doesn’t mean you can come into people’s apartments you know!”

“Now,” his hand extended as he calmly stated, “Could you please stop shouting?”

“Get out of my apartment!”

Inhaling sharply he lowly growled back, “This is my apartment!”

“I’ve lived here for nearly a decade! And one day I wake up and you’re, your stuff is slowing up here and you trash the place! Now I know the landlord and he would never-,”

“Will you please stop shouting?!”

Inhaling deeply you said even louder, “I will shout as much as I damn well please to! This is my apartment! I don’t care what you paid I still have months till my lease is up!”

He moved closer again, “Now can we just calmly talk about this?”

“No!” You stomped your foot and he couldn’t help but smirk as it made your pitifully tied back curls swayed along with your baggy sweater making your dark brows press together, “Don’t you dare laugh at me! You’ve been sneaking around my place, moving all my stuff, bringing in all that tacky unhomey furniture and on top of that, what is it with that damn calendar!” Stomping your way back to the living room he gripped the fold in his towel and trotted after you as you kept shouting, “2019?! Brilliant idea for a joke!”

Your finger extended at the calendar, “How much did this one set you back, hmm?”

Wetting his lips he asked, “20-, what year do you believe it is?”

After a scoff from you it was parroted back to him, “I believe?” he nodded, “What year-, it’s 2014! What sort of nonsensical-!”

His finger rose, “2014?”

You nodded, “Yes! Two thousand fourteen. Five Armies just came out with the others in their box set.” Your arms crossed, “What the hell sort of joke is this?! It’s not funny!” his smile in his eyes at having his prepared speech in his mind ready to go dropped at your lip quivering, “It’s fucking terrifying. This is my home. You can’t just show up!”

Moving closer his hand moved to rest on your shoulder only to pass through your arm, the action seen by you at your eyes lowering, a gasp was all he heard before the ring in his ears at your high pitched shriek at your step backwards sending you through the couch making you scream again. Unsteadily climbing over the couch his hand extended as he softly shushed you following after you in your panicked scramble to the glass wall, at which you scrambled to after your backwards stumble to curl up wrapping your arms around your legs folded in front of you. “Shhh…please stop screaming.” He repeated until all that could be heard was your muffled sobs and hiccups for air in between.

Wetting his lips he knelt beside you holding his hands out not wanting to frighten you again, “Please,” forgetting his speech he started to say the first thing on his mind, “I know you’re scared, and this is confusing.”

Your head rose, “It’s 2014!” your voice cracked and you squeaked out, “This is my home!” Tears rolling down your cheeks from your pinking eyes.

“Can-, you said your name is Jaqi Pear,” He nodded and your lip quivered again through a sniffle.

“I already know your name.”

“You said yours is Jaqi Pear, correct?”

“Correct.” You answered mockingly.

“Ok, well I looked you up.”

You scoffed, “You won’t find anything.”

“Not in 2014.” Your brows furrowed for a moment, “Now, you are in, or from 2014. Here, now, this apartment, this furniture, is in 2019.”

Your head tilted, “Don’t-,”

He waved his hands, “Humor me, please,” you sighed and folded your fingers tighter around your knee length sweats, “I don’t know how or why you are here, or now, but I did look you up, you were in a bus crash.”

“Bus-, I’m dead?!” your expression dropped, “I’m fucking dead. And now I’m stuck here.” You gasped, “This is just like the Lake House…You can’t be the dead one….” You cover your face and groan, “I’ll be in some obscure bus crash and I’m gonna die in your arms like Keanu and Sandra.”

With his brows raised he asked, “I beg your pardon, Keanu, and Sandra..?”

Your head rose and you looked at him flatly, “The Lake House.” He shook his head, “Keanu Reeves and Sandra, what the,” Your fingers snapping trying to remember her last name, “Bullock. They both live in the same house, only she moves in years after he built it and there’s a magical mailbox and they write to one another and fall for each other and one day he tries to find her, ironically, the day they first spoke, and he gets hit by a car and dies in her arms.” Blinking at you he sat still you continued on, “And then she tells him not to find her and wait to meet her later-, honestly, how have you not seen it?”

“No, it, sounded familiar, just, I’m a bit fuzzy on it. Must have been years ago.”

You nodded, “I’m gonna die.” Groaning again your head dropped onto your knees.

A growl from his stomach sounded and you raised your head as he stated, “I’m going to get dressed and then start dinner and we can talk some more, if you like.”

Sighing again you looked to the kitchen as he rose and walked to the bedroom stealing glances back at you until he closed the door behind him. Smacking your lips at your own seemingly unending hunger you forced yourself to your feet mumbling and waving your arms dejectedly, “Already clean the place, might as well cook too.” Walking to the kitchen wiping your cheeks along the way.

Behind the door Richard hastily finished drying his hair and short beard and picked out a pair of briefs he added a pair of sweats and a t shirt then hurried as he heard the cupboards opening and closing to the sound of, “Where the fuck did you hide the pans?”

Chuckling to himself he trotted out and wet his lips entering the kitchen, sure to move closer to you slowly so he wouldn’t startle you again, “Under here.” He moved around you opening one of the taller ones under the wine glasses on the top shelf you would have to climb for then chuckled seeing you shake your head at him, “I prefer not to burrow for all my supplies.”

“Ha ha. My sides are splitting.” A smirk eased onto his lips, “What do you want to eat?”

“Pasta was on sale.”

You nodded, “Pasta it is.” You turned to the pantry as he went to fetch the premade sauce in the fridge along with the meat to mix into the sauce he split open and added to his skillet he pulled down.

“Can you eat?” you turned to him with noodles in hand, “I mean, since you got here, have you tried eating?”

Passing him the noodles you turned to the fridge eyeing his selection then tugged one of the grapes free from the bag inside you raised to show him before passing it between your lips. “Hmm.” You mumbled as you chewed.

“Sour?”

“Bland.” He raised a brow, “I think it’s the dead thing.”

“You’re not dead.”

“Oh yes, sucked through time, so much more convincing.”

“You’re in a coma.” Your mouth fell open then you clamped it shut, “You’re not dead.”

“Oh yes, coma, so much more appealing. Why am I here though, in 2019?!”

He shrugged, “You did live here, maybe you just moved and instead of going there you came someplace, homier, you said you have lived here a decade.”

Your hand waved at your side with a nod, “Valid point.” Turning to claim the pot to fill with water you carried back to wait for it to boil. Peering up at him you asked, “So, what brings you here to my ghostly abode?”

Chuckling lowly he replied, “I have a place in an audio book company, Audibles, they give me a few books a year to tape, they’re based here in New York.”


	2. Chapter 2

At the table you stared at the plate you inched closer to you as he scooted his chair in closer to the table across you, he asked, “So you remember 2014,” wetting his lips, “Any flashes of anything else, like dreams, or nightmares?” You shook your head, “Ok, where did you go, between times I saw you?” Pausing to raise his fork he asked, “Why were you crying, when we first talked?”

“I,” his brows rose and you sighed, “I never got to see the Hobbit trilogy in theaters so I waited till the final one came out, I love Tolkien and that was just painful. Is it so bad I want you and your characters to have your happily ever after?”

Making him chuckle and nod, “I understand completely, even my mum-,’ he paused and nipped at his lip then continued, “She gave me an earful about it.”

“Sore subject?”

You eased a forkful of the pasta into your mouth and he nodded, “Lost my mum, last year.” With a full mouth you paused and he shook his head, “Don’t apologize.” He wet his lips and said, “I read about your parents and sister.” You nodded, “Do you want to know the details, of the crash?” You shook your head mid chew and he nodded. “Noted.”

Swallowing you licked your lips and asked, “Can I ask,” his eyes rose to yours, “How you are taking it, your place was trashed, you seem tired…”

He chuckled weakly and answered, “I flew back from a few events around the country bout a week back, as for the place being trashed, I’m a bit lax on tidying up sometimes when I get busy then I have cleaning binges when I hit my lowest. I did have a low few months, work helped after to lift me back up again. I am better now, how long ago did you lose your father?”

“2013.” Earning a nod from him. “I’m about the same. Work tends to keep me distracted, and no, I don’t want to know about my job in your time.”

Swallowing he asked, “What do you do now?”

“I work with sets in the theater and some small shows between play seasons.” Your shoulders rocked excitedly making him struggle to hold back his smirk, “And my brother in law is working on a script for a show I’ve been helping him fine tune. Seems like he’s finally got some interest in it.”

“Impressive.” You chuckled and he smirked at you, “It is. You should see the workshops for the Hobbit, we got a tour, it was stunning what they could do.” After wetting his lips he added, “And I wish you both the best for your script.”

You nodded and wet your lips asking, “Is my hair still bleached?”

He chuckled again and shook his head, “No, purple bottom, half, I mean, you pull the top back and the rest is purple.” You nodded, “Why?”

You giggled saying, “Had a role had to bleach it all, at least with half I have some break with the hidden roots.”

Richard nodded, “Spray on dyes must make it easier too.” A turn of his head brought his ringing phone to his attention. “oh…”

He glanced at you and you said, “Don’t mind me.” He nodded and went to fetch his phone to answer the call that lasted much longer than he had assumed with his manager lasting through your cleaning up after dinner was through. When it ended finally he let out a wide yawn and then found you to apologize, “You should sleep.”

He nodded, “Are you tired?”

“Freezing, starving and exhausted.” His brow twitched up curiously.

“You can take the bed-,”

Your brow inched up in retaliation, “You are not sleeping on that couch. I’m dead,”

“Not dead.”

“I can handle it. Get some sleep.” You said waving your hands to shoo him away making him chuckle. “Nighty night.”

He chuckled again, “I hope you sleep well and I hope you don’t vanish again.”

Softly you stated, “You and me both.” Stretched out on the couch you stared up at the ceiling hearing him settle into bed and plug in his phone as you closed your eyes unable to cover yourself to force away the endless cold tightly gripping you.

…

Distantly through the night your mind wandered as you paced and kept watch of the windows and your stunning view wondering what you had traded it for as you could draw it from memory from the years of sharing this place with your father for so long. You hoped at least if you didn’t have an ocean view or lived somewhere up in the mountains losing this place wouldn’t be worth it. Again and again your mind wandered to somehow, if you woke up, you could get Richard to move. Then of course your mind jumped to how you could wake yourself up. Richard certainly couldn’t just pull a Snow White move and kiss you awake, though you couldn’t believe that being anything less than a perfect way to wake up, for you at least. Coma sounds like a long nap but no wonder you felt so cold, no doubt you were stuffed full of tubes and wrapped in some itchy hospital gown absolutely terrifying your brother and niece at possibly losing the last of their family.

Coated in golden light you heard the stirring shifting through the walls after a grumble stirring alarm chiming to tear him from his dreams. Aimlessly you started on tea and set out all you needed for breakfast the groggy yet grateful man slumped into his seat after primping and dressing for the day. “Thank you.” He looked at you only nibbling on a piece of toast, “You aren’t hungry?”

“I am starving, though I don’t want to eat you out of house and home.”

“Eat something today, please. I can afford it.”

You giggled weakly, “One trilogy and now you have ghost girl feeding paychecks, hmm?” Making him chuckle.

“Just eat.” His eyes lingered on you for a few moments before they dropped to his plate again at your downward gaze at your far from tasty toast.” Again his phone was drawn out reminding him of his driver en route stirring him to say, “Anything you need me to get you while I’m out?”

You shook your head, “Nah, I shouldn’t need anything. Don’t you go worrying about me I shall aim to be the best house ghost you could imagine.”

Making him roll his eyes as he stood up, “Well, I have to go. I will see you after work.”

You nodded and stood carrying your dishes to the sink after him, a final grin was flashed to you and he made his way to the door in your move to look over the apartment again. But as soon as the door seemed to close it opened again making you turn and walk around the counter seeing Richard walking back inside again. “Forget something?”

Closing the door behind him his brow inched up as he said, “Excuse me?” In the whirl of chapters he recorded and short photo shoot after he assumed he had misheard you as he felt himself calm finally seeing you still here in his place when he got back.

“That was fast.”

Wetting his lips he eased out of his jacket he hung up leaving a bag on the floor under it and walked closer to you, “You skipped again?”

“Wha-,” your eyes turned to the clock in your walk into the living room, “Damn. And I was going to snoop a bit through your channels.” Making him chuckle and move closer as you rubbed your face, “Hungry?” you asked lowering your hands from your face to look him over.

“Not quite, had a small lunch after the photo shoot.”

Climbing on the back of the couch you propped your elbow on your knee with your chin in your palm, “Ooh, do tell. Serious and brooding or like that one in your younger years, barefoot with the shirt open and pouting?”

A loud laugh left him and he got lost in a set of chuckles before replying through a slight blush, “It, um, dress shirt and vest with dress slacks and shoes.” You nodded and glanced back to his bag making him chuckle, “Which they let me keep,”

“Ooh, aren’t you just spoiled?”

Making him chuckle again, “I am terrible at shopping, I like to keep them so I have an idea what to wear to simple events and appearances.”

“I can’t imagine you’d look anything but stunning in a well tailored outfit.” Deepening his smirk and blush in his turn to fetch his bag to add them to his closet as you twisted to drop back onto the couch you stretched out across uncertain at just how much of his body would be hanging off the couch you barely reached from arm to arm.

In a purr his voice sounded out behind you, “Growing fond of the couch?”

Inching up you curled your legs in front of you when your eyes fell to your right hand seeing a red loop around your middle finger before you turned to face Richard, “Not at all. Shoot your decorator.”

Chuckling again he walked around the couch and sat beside you flashing you the screen of his phone showing you his netflix app, “Lake House is on the app, thought you might not mind watching it?”

You shook your head, “Your house. Watch what you like, you could even watch monster truck races or hours of cat shows,” deepening his smirk again in his amused gaze over you and your playful grin under the loose curls you were pulling back into another looped bun. “Whatever floats your boat.”

In a low chuckle he mumbled to himself, “Whatever-…” Wetting his lips in his reach for the remote to turn on the tv and switch to his netflix app and searched for the film he brought up then pursed his lips pausing before he asked, “Do I have popcorn…?” Up onto his feet he rose and went to wander into his kitchen where he returned with a bag of Ruffles and some chip dip, “No popcorn, these ok?”

You nodded, “Sure.”

He nodded and opened the bag to set between you when he sat down again leaving the dip on the footrest he brought flat up against the couch. Through the film you snacked and tried not to make too much of a mess of yourself in front of him and yet more than once you ended up with an awkward licking situation for the bits of dip you had managed to smear or drop across your face. Each time only brightening the mood of the man feeling his heart sink as the film continued to play out something similar to what you were experiencing.

As the credits rolled you sighed out leaning back against the couch smoothing your finger along the red loop around your finger, “I wanted to meet Keanu not be him.”

His head turned to you with brows partially furrowed in a mix of confusion and jealousy, “What? Who else did you want to meet? Anyone I know?”

Off the top of your head you listed a short list of actors, a good bit from the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings with a few sparking his brows to twitch closer together for a moment and the last, Luke Evans to stir him to ask, “Luke,” he wet his lips, “You know he’s-?”

A giggle left you and you brushed your bangs behind your ear grabbing another chip, “Ya, I like him, he must be on my team. All my crushes end up being gay most of the time.”

A smirk struggled to ease across his face as he rubbed the back of his neck, “You, um, mentioned Lee too?”

You nodded, “Yup. He’s on my hug list.”

“Your what?!”

His eyes widened and you shifted to face him swatting your hand through his arm giving you a glimpse of a red loop on his finger too, “Hug!” You hug yourself, “hug list. I’m clearly not his type.” Lowering your arms and rolling your eyes leaning back against the back of the couch again.

“You are flawless.”

You swat your hand through his arm and point at yourself, “Dead.”

“Coma.”

“Big difference!” He raises a brow at you, “Oh trust me if I wasn’t all comatose I’d have Mr Pace on his knees begging me to never leave the bedroom. Once I figure out what to do I could have any of them at the snap of my fingers.”

Deeply chuckling at your soft blush he purred, “I am certain you will figure it out.”

You scoff, “Not if I’m Keanu.”

“He survives on the end.”

“Yes, But, Sandra, that means you have to keep me from dying trying to talk to you.” Making him blink and look back to the screen as he sighs, “Mhmm. And me, knowing me, I would never chase after you unless I was stupidly trying to save you from something.” You gasped, “What roles do you have lined up?! Anything dangerous?”

He shakes his head, “All clear for a few months.”

You settle back into the couch, plopping your head back with a groan, “This coma thing sucks! At least he got to go around doing stuff!”

.

“So what do you have tomorrow?”

“A few of the guys were talking about dropping by on their way to the west.”

“Ooh.” He chuckled at your nip at your lip, “Anything fun?”

He chuckled, “Usually we do dinner, possibly a film maybe.”

You nodded and he grinned at your spreading smirk, “Ooh, daredevils. You should be wary of the headlines you’ll stir up.” Making him chuckle again.

Two films later your eyes had lowered to the string on your finger your nails looped under making him look at your hand, “Everything ok?”

“I can’t get this string off.” Your head turned to look at him raising your hand, “The red one?” Rolling your eyes you tilted your head back through a groan, “I am not crazy. There is a string on my finger and I can’t get it off.”

Continuing on you kept fidgeting with it making him chuckle until you finally managed to grip it and tug it back. The red string in anger pulsed brightly and then angrily stretched and looped up tangling around your wrist with the other end of it to loop around you both tugging you flush against his side widening both your eyes as he glanced down noticing the string, “Oh, that string.”

Terribly you wiggled trying to get free only to be tugged tighter to his side, altogether painless for him yet painful for you leaving you resting your arm over his shoulder with a sigh, “If you say I told you so I am going to scream.”

“Please don’t scream.”

“Oh I highly doubt if Kelly had heard me she would have come over. With her daughter I got the flu, I sneezed too early in the morning and she came over fuming.”

Richard couldn’t help but be at ease knowing your upset hadn’t upset anyone or could get him in trouble. “I hate to, however, so, I do have work tomorrow.”

You nodded, “You should go to bed then.” You said unable to keep from giggling in his awkward grin at you, you shrugged faking a casual tone, “Just pretend I’m not here.”

“You’re tied to my side, how are you going to sleep?”

An awkward grin spread onto your face as you replied, “Like a baby snuggled with a teddy bear, you Mr Armitage are going to have to sleep with a ghost strapped to your side.”

He raised a brow, “You are not a ghost.”

“And what would I be then?”

He drew in a breath in a focused purse of his lips drawing your eyes to them and then back again to his eyes, “My Soul Buddy.”

You couldn’t help but giggle and rub your face, “Oh that is adorable.” Looking over his endearing grin at you your head nodded, “Off to bed.”

He sighed and wet his lips scooting closer to the end of the couch taking you with him, standing to see you still at his side up at his height making him nip at his lip on the stroll to the bedroom where he turned to eye his bathroom only to notice you drop to your feet at the doorway that shut behind him making him turn curiously. Shaking his head he turned to use the toilet and ready for bed, opening the door again you were jerked back to his side bringing his smirk back again on his path to the bed. That he laid across closing his eyes unable to keep from chuckling at your place at his side, still unable to feel you, but still knowing you were there was more than enough for him to keep chuckling for a few minutes.

In the awkward silence as you settled down you stared up at the ceiling only to hear him rumble, “Was I on your list?”

Weakly you giggled, “At the top.”

He nodded and grinned stealing a glance at you from the corner of his eye, “You aren’t going to ask me?”

“What, if I was on your list?” Making him chuckle to himself.

“If we’re on the same team or not. Your comment about your former crushes.”

You shook your head, “Don’t need to.” He turned his head to look at you seeing you close your eyes, “None of my business, besides, it’s a bit tiring having people scuff up my day dreams.”

Against the sting of your comment he purred out teasingly, “You have day dreams about me?”

Raising a finger to your lips to shush him, “Shh, bedtime.”

A deep chuckle left him and he purred again, “You do.” Closing his eyes to exhale deeply settling back to drop into sleep.

..

Tangled in the string still you laid with your hand over Richard’s shoulder and cheek resting over it from the string tightening in his sleep at your try to give him some more room. For all you had imagined his body radiating heat under you still did nothing to still your chill and the arm resting through your back and side supposedly some subconscious way of his resting his arm around you failing to do so but succeeding in stirring up an uncomfortable tingle through your middle. All through his sleep you laid there awake staring out the window listening to his steady heartbeat and rumbling exhales until his stirring deep inhale and arch of his back.

Blinking through the early light Richard paused for a moment at his urge to leap up to see if you were still there remembering you had been stuck to his side the night before.

“Are you awake?” He hummed in a glance down at you. A warm wave washed over him seeing you draped across his shoulder and side.

“Is it weird to say good morning?”

“I, don’t think so.” His eyes dropped seeing your legs casually bent beside his over the covers he was safely tucked under. “Sleep well?”

You nodded in a silent fib and let out a breath, “So, I guess you should probably get ready.”

He nodded turning over you awkwardly, halfway through your lower half even in his try to keep from squishing you as his arm extended to silence his alarm that went off suddenly. In his pull back he froze staring into your partially translucent purple eyes realizing his nose was barely touching yours then turned back to his back at the chime on his phone reminding him of his ride.

A deep sigh left him and he wet his lips as he said, “Guess we can see if the string is still tight.” Sitting up he watched your body being tugged closer to his side again and your crawl to the edge as he sat there. Partially hating your being drug along but loving having you so close to him, close enough he could imagine your touch and tripling his ache at the lack of contact and not being able to have kissed you. Draping your arms over his shoulders you floated up to his height as he stood trying not to notice his adjusting himself and the waistband of his sweats on his path to the shower.

Again an invisible barrier was up and you dropped to your feet with a soft gasp causing him to turn and say in a loss for anything else, “I’ll try to be fast.”

You shrugged, “Take your time.” Mumbling softly you said, “You’ll be stuck with me all day it seems.” Lost in eager wonder at what his day would entail and how you could keep yourself mentally occupied so you wouldn’t bother him.

Through his shower and primping, while his own mind raced and grin doubled hoping you would be stuck to him all day, you were pinned with your back to the door between you staring out at the wall of glass. At least until the door opened and you shot through it to his side wide eyed as he peered down at you stunned in your struggle not to stare at the damp chest you would have slammed heavily into had you not been in your ghostly perdicament.

Still you wiggled back to his side off his chest so you could turn your head to grant him some privacy in dressing until he led you off to the kitchen. Breakfast was awkwardly taken on his lap in the tightening of the string while trying to sit on your own chair beside him and another chime of his phone had him groaning, “Car died.” You giggled and he sighed, “Great.”

With another giggle you said, “Just tell me where we’re headed and I’ll show you the way.”

He sighed and nodded, “Best be off now I guess.” His eyes wandering over you and your baggy shirt and knee length pants and bare feet, “You certain you’ll be alright barefoot?”

“My feet don’t hurt, I could barely feel the blanket from last night under them.”

He nodded and led you to the door where he paused seeing the open door to his neighbor’s apartment, “Um...”

“I doubt anyone but you can see me.” You popped your lips making him blink finally after getting lost staring at you coated in reflective dots from the chandelier in the hallway. “Hop to it and you might have time for a coffee and muffin.”

Weakly chuckling he turned to step out, locking the door behind your back then led the way to the elevator past the open door with the patient dog holding a leash in his jaws while the girls inside were being wrangled together for their morning walk. Inside he couldn’t help but smirk peeking down at you again at the cooking of your fingers together in front of you.

.

Just down the block the wafting scent of your usual coffee shop drew him inside at your pointing it out to him. In his search over the menu your brows furrowed seeing the former art student in line ahead of you being waved off by the handlebar mustache bearing man with striped shirt rolled up exposing his ‘Unicycle Bandit’ tattoo on his unshapen very snappable arm you had dreamed of doing just that each time the deaf student was given the wrong or partial order out of the man’s impatience now all the more evident seeing Richard in line four people behind him.

“Such an asshole. How is he not fired yet?” Richard’s eyes dropped to find you with arms crossed glaring at the man, “Venti iced coffee with raspberry drizzle and a fucking chocolate chip muffin. Every day and he still gets it fucking wrong on purpose.”

Drawing his phone out of his pocket he opened the notes app and typed, “You know that guy?” Peering down at you then to his phone at your curious glance up at him at his subtly clearing of his throat only you seemed to catch. Lowering your eyes following his gaze you looked to the phone screen reading his message.

“He’s a student, or was. Friends with my brother, looks like he finally graduated.”

Richard nodded and pocketed his phone seeing the three people ahead of him hurried along for him to say, “Venti iced coffee, raspberry drizzle with a chocolate chip muffin, plus throw in an iced espresso with caramel.”

The man grinned turning himself after accepting the bill for it to start on the order leaving the stunned blonde female beside him formerly on the muffins to take over the orders. Off to the side Richard eyed the former student glaring at his bitter black coffee as he set out his sketch pad on the table from his satchel. The clearing of a throat brought him back to the counter as the man misspoke his name earning a forced grin as he raised the carrier with both drinks and muffin carefully on it. Casually he strolled past the table and set it down claiming his own drink bringing the student’s eyes to his with lips parted seeing who it was.

Hastily the man wet his lips as you showed Richard how to sign while stating, “Your order.”

Richard parroted it back then eyed the man’s silent response you translated, “You don’t know me.”

Richard grinned then copied your response after setting down his drink, “I know Bunny.” He claimed his drink again and gave a wave earning one in return as he strolled out grinning as you had seeing the stunned baristas watching the exchange.

Bouncing on your toes beside him to keep up with his long legs you grinned up at him, “Thank you.” He chuckled stealing a glance down at you as he followed you down into the subway at his first sip of his drink.

Casually down the steps he bounced and trotted after your instructed path and just barely made it into the train. Straight to the back empty bench he walked and claimed the seat noticing more than a few people stare at him for a few moments then turn away again as you crossed your legs on his lap you were tugged onto. Again he drew out his phone again after you had mumbled, “Maybe I shouldn’t have told you to say bunny. He’ll no doubt tell Drew.”

Wetting his lips he typed out, “What is the problem?”

Exhaling through a wry chuckle you replied, “Well, a famous actor who I happen to be a huge fan of says he knows me, conveniently as I’m lying in a sea of tubes somewhere. We’ve never spoken.”

Wetting his lips again he ignored the second stolen glance of another man down the train stealing a picture of him as he sipped on his drink and typed one handed, “So we met on Twitter. Private messages and all that.”

You sighed, “One trouble you have to follow someone to private message.”

He nodded and opened Twitter on his phone and then found the search bar waiting silently for you to sigh and reluctantly spell out your username, “I have three followers.”

Richard took his turn to let out a wry chuckle at your page popping up with an icon of you with a bunny mask and a staggering two million followers marker and a mark confirming Richard was one of them. Softly you mumbled, “You’re following me?”

Richard smirked scrolling down past a few pictures of your sky line only to halt on your last message to him, just a few days before your accident, ‘Happy Birthday Handsome! Hope it’s splendid and packed with peaceful relaxing for you! Many Happy Returns! 😁’

A simple tap showed his response, ‘Thank you Darling! Much better now hearing it from you!😉🐰’

“You sent me a wink?!” Your head turned, “So, we talk?”

Richard wet his lips and switched back to his notes app finally recognizing his guilty pleasure buddy on Twitter he loved to flirt with after yearly birthday wishes and drop in messages out of nowhere when he seemed to need them most halting painfully around the time of your accident with no explination. “You have a habit of sending me messages when I need a boost. I didn’t recognize it was you.”

Holding back your giddy reaction to it you replied coolly, “So not so strange that you know me then.” Spreading his smirk catching your withdrawn reaction and his own glee at you being his Soul Buddy and guilty pleasure with him at least partly after all these years.

“I also follow your tumblr.”

“Oh fuck..” you mumbled covering your face making him chuckle to himself and fight to reign his reaction in at the man stealing another picture with two women stealing one of their own as he faked typing another message to keep from looking too odd. Though the chimes of his phone went off as he switched to his twitter seeing the translated video of his stop on the coffee shop going viral already with women asking who ‘Bunny’ was and when he learned to sign. To himself he mumbled, “Oh fuck...”

“Looks like you’re gonna have to at least say you’re trying to pick it up.” Your fist circled over your chest as you mouthed, “Sorry.”

A wry chuckle left him and he mumbled back pocketing his phone at his stop whispering, “Smart ass.” Making you giggle beside him as he took another sip of his drink heading for the steps.

.

A few turns later and he grinned seeing the corner building in bright white he entered greeting the men at the front desk in passing on his way to the elevators. Wetting his lips he stared at the changing numbers once he’d hit the button when the doors closed. Anxious all at once to have you there after having read your reviews of his other recordings you had loved all of, always with comments eager to hear more. Praising him in that you said he could read the phone book and you would still love it.

.

A comment making him blush in the privacy of his own home, which at the time was his hideaway from his ex, whom he found out was cheating on him early on but out of exhaustion from work he refused to handle that until he was eventually trapped by her into finding her. Though it didn’t end as fiery as she had hoped to plow on the tears to make him feel bad. A shrug and a ‘wish you the best’ was all she got as he was just done by then and wanted to leave at the buzz in his pocket knowing he had a message waiting from you as promised once you had gone to see his film ‘Into the Storm’ finally. Not one of his blockbuster peak dramas but still you were eager to see it and share your thoughts to silence his wariness on his choice of film.

By then he was already hooked and had daydreams of his own, though by then his friends had caught on and Lee, the same actor also hopefully well below him on your hug list, had sought you out himself online. A joke at first to see who had Richard so on edge but he knew you would start chatting and ten years his junior and by his reckoning far more interesting you would soon be gone from his inbox.

One blow up later and silence for the pair of you from him to just let fate sort itself out for a few weeks all but severed his heart in two until he downloaded twitter on his phone again seeing the fuming messages from you stunning him after the silence in your worry if he was safe or not. A simple reply of safety was then followed by a lecture from you to him about terrifying you by just shutting you out like that and he felt so foolish.

On the edge of groveling he managed to patch up your time apart in a long winded recap as he set up a get together with his fellow Hobbit Cast, all who were pleased to see him after what they imagined to be his regroup time after his latest role. Silently he buried his insecurities that his oh so much more than pen pal had ever had eyes for anyone but him and he felt at ease again for the time being until the inevitable question of dating would come up again.

.

A booth was waiting for him and inside he settled into his chair, thankful it was a decent height for you to be able to stand or sit on his lap if needed. Peering over his shoulder curiously his smirk was held back as he set his drink aside and began to find his proper spot and await his cue to begin once again. Section by section you were draped against his shoulder listening as he read until lunch was called and then again after your soft silent conversation half typed while he sent out a simple message on Twitter, ‘Please take pity on me. Just picking up sign, or trying to. Supposed to be a surprise. 🤫’

“You tease.” You whispered mockingly making him chuckle to himself pocketing the phone again.


	3. Chapter 3

A curious tilt of your head on the way home after the final turn to enter the subway car your lips parted and you read back from a small advertisement, “The Incredibles 2?!” Your head turned and you peered up at him and he wet his lips uncertain of just what to do until his eye caught a teen with arms full balancing her phone in her shoulder making him bring his out too. “Of course I’m dead when the sequel comes out.” You stated blankly while plopping your hands on your lap.

He opened his notes app again, “Not dead!”

Cockily in a playful glare you fired back, “Oh yes, coma, just wheel me in through the door so I can halfway hear the film.”

He rolled his eyes, “If you stay stuck to me through the weekend we can go see it when it comes out.”

“Don’t tease me. I’ll probably end up under some really fat obnoxiously loud guy that snorts up his popcorn kernels the whole film.”

With furrowed brows he replied, “No one is sitting on you.”

In a giggle you asked, “And how do you plan to manage that? Buying a second seat feigning a date that will never show up?”

“If I have to.” After a pause of his thumbs making you look him over curiously he added, “Or you can just sit on my lap.”

Another playful smirk eased onto your face and he held his gaze on his phone through a soft blush forming on his cheeks. “If I didn’t know better I’d say you were enjoying being haunted Mr Armitage.”

Plainly he typed on the new line, “Richard, or Rich.”

You nodded propping your elbow on his shoulder as your legs shifted to avoid going through a passing strolled at this stop and his eyes dropped to his phone seeing Aidan’s message pop up, “Still on for tonight?”

Richard sighed mumbling, “Damn, forgot about that.”

Wetting his lips he eyed Lee’s message that popped up next, “You’re not wiggling out of it, I sent a car so pull on some pants and head down to it when they call you.”

Wetting your lips seeing his discomfort you said, “Who knows, you might have fun. And it could be like the bathroom thing, I could be left behind so you’ll have some privacy.”

His eyes scanned over you and he sighed holding back his comment that the last thing he wanted now was privacy from you.

.

A tall white house in the middle of a patch of green with a wrap around porch and a barn off to the side in a worn grey parted your lips making Richard swallow dryly until you pointed at it saying, “I think I’ve seen that house before.” Your head turned to his, “It looks like one on a puzzle I did once.” Stirring a hint of a grin onto his face, “Must have cost millions.” You said looking at the house again at the front door opening and the group of men walking out onto the porch.

On the slide out of the car you drew in a breath at the easing of the string granting you barely a foot between you and with a quick hop out you avoided Richard’s glance back to the car ending with the closing of the door that would have clipped your thigh had you been solid. Nipping at your lip you eyed the full group of men looking over the Brit you were tethered to in his path up the walkway to the front steps as the car pulled away.

Graham approached first and Richard couldn’t help but grin at your soft squeak at their tight hug followed by another from Aidan, who gripped him tightly saying, “So nice to have us all together again. Just like old times.”

In their hug a soft gasp left you and you whispered, “He’s Irish? And those dimples..” Again you squeaked in his pull back grinning at Richard who let out a laugh stirring up the man’s brows.

Richard shook his head, “Just hope the rains are a bit fairer then they were in New Zealand then.” The last minute addition stirring laughs from the men near him as they brought up something about a goat you didn’t quite catch as you got lost in trying to decipher Dean’s mumbled comment and bright eyes.

Nearer and nearer you were brought to the front door where Lee was the last to greet the final guest with possibly the tightest hug, “Bout time you got out here.” In their pulling apart you eyed the pair and lowered your raised brows at noting them roughly the same height leaving your assumption of their being a huge difference merely to the picture angles you had seen from their press stops. Biting your lip you eyed the men reminding yourself to be quiet and let Richard enjoy himself and forget about you while distracting yourself from intruding on anything too personal between them. “Pool just got finished last month, got some trunks for everybody, we’re breaking it in while Will is fixing the steaks.”

Straight into the living room you walked only to find the men, already barefoot and pulling off their shirts walking towards the bags with names on them for the guys making you smirk at Lee’s proud grin at the gifts while his two dogs entered eyeing the men only to pause looking you over. Inhaling steadily you turned your head and as the dogs neared you both Richard’s stomach clenched in the group of young guys around him making him ask, “Where’s the toilet?”

Lee raised a brow tossing his shirt away with one hand as his other unhooked the button on his jeans, “Bashful Rich? We’ve stripped to less for the films before.”

Rich gave him a playful smirk, “No, long car ride, have to piss.”

Lee rolled his eyes, “Sure thing wallflower, third on the right.” He gestured through the hall on his left and Richard nodded walking around the dogs after grabbing the bag after Lee stated, “Rich, your trunks.”

Richard nodded, “Thanks.” Eyeing the dogs again in their path after him sniffing at you.

Curiously you eyed the large bathroom where Richard set down the bag on the counter making you ask yourself, “Why am I in here?”

Richard eyed you with a smirk whispering as he gripped the back of the neck of his shirt, “You don’t want to be here?”

You peered up at him as he set aside his shirt on the counter, “Thought you had to-,” your hand swatted through his, “You made it up.”

He chuckled to himself, “They’ll all be in the pool, tons of time to gawk.”

You rolled your eyes turning your back to him with your arms crossing, “I am not here to gawk. So you just forget I’m here and enjoy yourself.”

Playfully as he eased out of his shoes and undid the end of his belt he rumbled lowly by your ear, “Feel free to gawk at me if you like.”

Struggling against the blush hoping to rest on your cheeks you replied, “I am not here to gawk.”

Another chuckle under his breath sounded out and he peered in the bag only to call out, “Why is there a speedo in here?”

Through the door laughter sounded and Lee called back, “Thought you preferred speedos to show off your thighs.”

Richard rolled his eyes mumbling, “One time, one drunken joking contest for showing off our hard earned size and now this.” A stolen glance from you had you giggling at the yellow speedo with a black crown on the crotch spreading his smirk and easing his brushing his briefs down to ease into the bottoms. After he piled all his things in the bag he carried out with him asking, “Just why is there a crown on my crotch?”

Behind your hands covering your mouth you giggled at Lee’s motioning to his crotch, coolly replying, “Not certain, there’s antlers on mine.”

Richard rolled his eyes as Graham motioned to his backside saying aloud the words there, “Big Guns on mine!”

Aidan and Dean popped out with a supply of weapons across theirs with Prince across their asses, each of them in more personalized speedos worsening your fight to remain silent in their strut to the pool.

Though your eyes kept dropping to the dogs beside you eyeing you curiously. It wasn’t until the splash of the first cannonball that you noticed the men jumping in with you left beside the edge thankfully as Richard leapt in. Peering down you grinned at the dogs whispering under their loud chatter in breaking the surface, “Hey guys, you’re not going to bark at me are you?” Timidly you patted the first’s head and grinned at their content hum. Wetting your lips you lowered to curl your legs as you sat to pet the dogs that laid down in front of you content at your attentions to them.

In the pool Richard stole a few glances at you pleased you weren’t just watching them bored out of your mind though the more you focused on the dogs the more he focused on the guys until a dreaded string of questions came up. A mention of an old girlfriend of one of the cast came up that led to Richard’s ex, and even with the distraction you had his stomach clenched even more. While your mind raced to the glimpses of Richard you kept stealing in the guys’ roughhousing in the water his kept racing to all the things you could possibly hear about his life, none more embarrassing than you hearing about how he handled the relationship with his ex while speaking with you.

Across the pool Dean asked, “Any word on Tanya, Rich?”

Without thought or explanation your eyes snapped to your hand, harshly biting your lip at the now glowing string as he wished you were anywhere but here to avoid hearing this. But for all his wishing the moment after regret washed through him for ever dreaming such a thing, shaking his head he replied blankly, “Not a word thankfully.” His head turning through his answer and devastatingly he eyed the now upright dogs now looking around the yard in search of you after your sudden departure. Mentally he cursed himself as he struggled to focus on the group as he along with Lee kept watch of the dogs still scouring each inch of the house and yard for you with worried whines for the unexplained loss of their friend.

Once toweled off at the completion of the meal the guys changed again and claimed their helpings and took their seats around the table. For the most part Richard sat doing all he could not to pay any mind to the depressed dogs now cooped up inside from their continued search for you. Both whining stirring Lee to move to pet and pay them attention only for them to turn away sinking into their sadness leaving the actor baffled as to what caused their mood. A decent time to slip away was found and at the rearrival of his car Richard claimed his chance to head back to the apartment hoping you were there.

.

Finally just as he felt he was about to burst Richard shot through his front door, locking it behind him and shrugged out of his coat he threw by the door. Each room was searched as he called out your name, frantically panting by the time he slumped onto his couch, rubbing his face through a deep groan feeling the weight of a freight train slamming into him as he remembered his mental urge, ‘go away, just go away.’ The words stung at him as his lips quivered and tears flooded his eyes at his hoarse whisper, “I didn’t mean it!” sniffling heavily he slumped forward resting his forehead in his palms begging, “Please come back!”

Years of insecurity now snapping at him mercilessly, again and again he berated himself, he should have ignored it, he should have just told you, explained when you got home again. But no. His doubts about you ogling the others over him, finally seeing how boring and unattractive he was compared to the others, all that compounded by how pitiful he imagined himself and how soon you would see it and yet again he forced you away from him without any sign of your caring in the slightest at all these little things that were picking at him so painfully. Alone he wept and prayed for your return or even safe awakening to message him up again when you remembered the time skip without conversing with him. Swearing to himself that when you returned he would explain it all and beg for a second chance from you.

*…*

_Deep in the depths of the apartment building in what once was the lobby and bar outside the old restaurant they were in the middle of trying to remodel you eyed the dust coated room. Barefoot between the covered chairs and tables around scattered crystal coated lamps and chandeliers your head turned hearing Tiberius and his soft meow. In a circle you turned without any clue as to where he was, though stopping again you eyed the brand new lobby bustling with people around you dressed to the nines in an abandoned silk and suited style ignorant of your being there. Parting slowly your lips opened with a soft squeak in avoiding a luggage cart nearly colliding with you. Hunching down you eyed Tiberius and lifted him off the ground avoiding another._

_The ding of the opening elevator had your mouth clamp shut at the disheveled suit clad man coated in blood with a revolver in hand, even more frightening to you were his bright red eyes and demonic grin cracking onto his face._

_Throwing his empty bottle of alcohol into the lobby you watched his hand flick the cylinder he had just added the fifth bullet to he then flipped into place. In a single motion he drew back the firing pin and raised the gun causing you to turn and race out of the way towards another hallway in the flurry of screams._

_The pounding of your heart growing unbearably painful as your mind flashed back to when your father had found you as a young teen crying after fleeing the same revolver wielding man with bright red eyes he had helped you discover to be the man behind the murder in this building decades past. A firm pair of hands tore you from the hall and into a room off to the side revealed instantly as a cleaning supply closet._

_Panting steadily your eyes landed on the same kind Jo, who had guided you to safety that first time too. Lowly he replied, “Miss Pear, we do not advise guests at this hour. I understand it has been some time,”_

_Shakily you asked, “Jo, what-?”_

_Grinning at you he helped to straighten your bunched up sleeves from where he had grabbed you, “Miss Jaqi, you were too young to understand then, but now, some souls do not rest when they pass, they relive their worst moments in their deaths. Over the years we have aided more than a few in passing on from this scene, though, he, remains, and until he is gone, she will not rest.”_

_“She?”_

_“His lover.” Through the loud scene outside you listened to his story about the scorned lover of the man who wanders these lowest floors searching for ways to help her beloved rest. He was married to another though she remained faithful and worked under him tirelessly to keep this building in tip top shape easing his worries while his wife bled him dry of all he had. A cursed trinket was said to have been purchased and the man supposedly went mad after his wife threw herself off the roof of this building. The lover had discovered something, documents that could have saved him, a notice of kin earning him a great inheritance to help sever his need for the wife digging her claws into him as they exposed her for fraud. By the tale’s end the noise had died down and only the hushed sobs of a woman in the hall remained._

_With his hand on the door Jo stated, “Come, meet Miss Hilary.”_

_Wetting your lips you stepped closer folding your fingers into Tiberius’ fur, “What if she does not wish to meet me?”_

_Chuckling lowly he replied, “She has been waiting a long time to meet you. You were far too young last time, and fate has brought you back to us.”_

_Inching closer to him you asked, “You-, I mean, you’re-,”_

_He chuckled, “Dead? Yes. Though I lived a long life here. Few of us remain to keep an eye on it. Our children and theirs live near here, we get glimpses every now and again.”_

_“How, how did I-?”_

_His hand rested on your shoulder kindly, “Some see us when they are frightened, some only when they call for us, others are at peace and open to all allowing our paths to cross, for the last, fate is fickle and has plans for us all.” His head nodded to the door, “Now, Miss Hilary.”_

_Anxiously you followed him after the sobs until you found a woman in a cardigan with a long skirt nearly reaching her ankles and silver hairs splitting her dark brown hair pulled into a twisted bun with an out of place jeweled hair pin keeping it still. On the end of her nose a jagged scar just barely tapped by a stray line of hair in her next turn about the room. At the sight of you her arms lowered from clutching the ledger in her arms and her lips parted, “You.” Wordlessly the woman had stared at you in your first mistaken trip down her, simply kept passing through with her eyes lingering on you holding back an unspoken wish to say something she refused to voice just yet._

_Dryly you swallowed and croaked out, “Miss, Hilary?”_

_A slow nod came from her at the tapping of her heeled shining black buckled shoes echoing around the office, “I am sorry to have met you under these terms.”_

_Weakly you chuckled out, “You mean, my being nearly dead and all?”_

_She nodded, “Yes. We heard it was painful.”_

_Your head tilted and you let out another nervous laugh, “Can’t say, don’t really remember it. Heard it was a bus crash.” You wet your lips, “You, wanted to speak to me?”_

_She nodded again, “Yes. I require your assistance with something.”_

_“Well, not much I can do nowadays.”_

_She shook her head raising her hand exposing a red string on her finger, “Perhaps, perhaps not.” Lowering her hand she moved to a portrait on a desk long since decipherable she tapped with her fingers, “12-35-47, there is an envelope inside and a note on it with an address.”_

_You nodded and wet your lips again, “So, just, post it?”_

_“Please.”_

_“I’ll, see what I can do.” A grin eased onto her lips and a chime of the clock stirred a flinch from you making you glance around after her vanishing, seeing the office dimming greatly by the second leaving you to look to Jo and ask, “You aren’t going to vanish on me too?”_

_He chuckled and shook his head, “I will show you to your floor.”_

_You nodded saying, “We should probably drop Tiberius off first.”_

_Joe chuckled saying, “Tiberius has tasks to do until sunset today, it would be best we leave him.” Your brow inched up and he added, “He keeps a great deal more than mice away.”_

_Crouching down you lowered him safely and watched him trot off after a soft meow, his glance up at you revealing the bright green pupil-less eyes and his soft grin, in his turn again he trotted off with his thick plushy tail swaying behind him. Blankly you turned to follow Jo through the abandoned floor up to a back set of stairs leading you up into the newer lobby where he helped you with the elevator that opened drawing the attention of the man behind the security desk on its path up to your room._

_The trip ended abruptly as you found yourself once the doors closed back on the couch again staring at the same calendar on the table with five days exed out since your day bound together. Cold tears streamed over your cheeks as you eyed the string on your finger attached to the hand resting on your lap as your legs curled up under you to the sound of the deep breaths and slumbering grumbles coming from the bedroom._

_Again you sat wondering why you were here, why you had left the party so suddenly guessing perhaps in his focusing on his friends you had been sent back home again and in the shock you got yourself lost somehow. Looking out at the stars nothing helped to ease your worries about yourself, your family and of course the man you seemed to be haunting. He didn’t deserve this, your family didn’t deserve this._

.*.

Heavily Richard stirred from his sleep slamming his hand on his alarm only for his head to jolt upright at the sound of a kettle being set on a burner. Jolting out of bed he raced through the apartment towards the kitchen, “Jaqi!” Wide eyed he slid into the room looking you over seated on his counter he hurried to, haltingly holding his hands up in his urge to both cling to you and grant you some space if needed, softening his tone he said, “I am so sorry.”

Raising your tear filled eyes you parroted back, “Sorry?”

“You must hate me, and I understand fully if you do.” Curiously at another tear streaming down your cheek you cocked your head at his clamping his eyes shut in a deep sigh. Opening his eyes again he began, “I have never been very confident in myself.” His eyes locked onto yours as he continued, “I was always too tall, or too thin, or even in my younger years always taken as an adult instead of a ruffled hair awkward child most got to be. Always I was chosen second, an afterthought, in acting and especially in dating-,”

“Richard, why-?”

“Jaqi, please, forgive me for being a self conscious idiot. In my fear for you preferring one of the guys, or even in just seeing any of my faults I sent you away.”

Barely above a whisper, “You sent-, you sent me there?”

Pausing unsteadily he asked, “There? Where is there?”

“What did I do?” more tears flowed down your cheeks as you cried out, “I was quiet and, and I wasn’t causing any trouble. I-,” Tears broke from his eyes at the next stream of yours and your squeaking question, “What did I do?”

Shaking his head he replied, “You didn’t do anything.” His hands rose trying and failing to brush your cheek dry only to pass through it making you turn your head away and clamp your eyes shut at your lower lip quivering through your next sniffle.

“Jaqi, you didn’t do a single thing to deserve my insecurity lashing out at you to spare you from hearing anything that would possibly lessen me for you. I am dreadfully and painfully aware of how terrible you must feel hearing this, but please, this has nothing to do past my insecurity. My exes, I let them treat me horribly for my own fears and wish to not be alone, especially my latest, cheated on me terribly the whole time, and I let her to avoid the inevitable split. I was such a coward. I was in the middle of a group of men, all on your hug list, mainly Lee and Aidan, both a decade younger than me, far more interesting, attractive-,”

Your scoff broke his sentence and his brows rose at your eyes opening to a sniffle in your wiping your cheeks, “That’s like comparing whiskey and wine.”

At once a smirk spread onto his face at the repeat of the same comparison you had used in his first online spat with you to calm him down, “Oh, and how is that?”

“Both intoxicating, though for both still in either case you would always choose the elder of the two.”

Deepening even more he hummed out, “And which would I be?”

“Whisky of course. Smokey, brooding with a bitter bite to it.”

“Oh really?” He playfully hummed pleased to see a glimmer of teasing flash into your eyes.

“I know you probably prefer wine, but like those younger guys brands of wine are a dime a dozen, shake the tree for one and twenty fall with him. Besides, between the two I would always choose whiskey, no offence.”

He chuckled lowly and inched closer with a softening expression at the pain lingering in your gaze, “I swear, I will never, never let my insecurities come between us again. Throw things, scream, I was pitiful and I deserve every bit of your wrath-,”

“Wrath-,” you scoffed back.

“Please forgive me.” Wetting his lips again he asked, “You said I sent you somewhere, where did I send you? What was it like?”

Wetting your lips you answered, “It was the old lobby here. I’d gotten lost and wandered down there when I first came here as a kid.” He nodded listening to your recap of your time there as he moved the kettle and started on breakfast he set out on the table you followed him to, “And she asked me to help her.”

He nodded eagerly, “What is there to do? Let me help you. Where are we off to?”

Plainly you replied, “There’s an envelope in a safe down in an abandoned office, we have to post it.”

At the inching up of his brows he nodded through a purse of his lips, “Well, it’s not searching out an ancient talisman in Tibet, but, if you were tasked to post a letter I shall assist you.”

You shook your head, “You don’t have to.”

Leaning in closer he exhaled locking his eyes on yours, “I am going to help you. You skipped a whole week. I managed to finish my book,”

You rolled your eyes, “Great, another book I’ll have to wait four years to hear the ending to.”

He chuckled saying, “I have a copy here, if you’d like, until then, how about you show me this safe?”

You nodded and rose to your feet wiping your cheeks and led him to the door he opened for you. Down through the elevator and formerly assumed forgotten path you had once taken a decade ago you found the same floor again earning gasps from the man following you.

Straight into the office you went and he set aside the portrait from the desk, eyeing it with you until you found a secret drawer with a numeric code lock on it. Softly you repeated the combination for him to turn the dials to and it eased open the hidden safe, the pair of you eyed the only contents, the stack of letters and a large envelope.

Wetting his lips at the sound of the workers arriving to repair the eatery he followed after you back to the opening by the trash collection area on the street level where he turned saying, “Let’s post-,” turning his head his eyes scoured over you in your inability to pass through the door, “I will post these and be back,” he stated and listened to your directions to the post office before you turned to head inside again to await him upstairs.

To himself he repeated his task wondering what it could help and why you were asked to do this. Repackaged in proper envelopes they were addressed again and stamped properly, passed over to the postal service freeing him to return home again to you. Through the door again he eyed you on the couch spreading his grin as he locked his door, “Repackaged and posted.”

“Thank you.”

Nearing you he sat on the couch asking, “Care for a film? I stocked up on popcorn.” You nodded and his grin doubled on his trot to make the treat for you both and then pick out a suitable film for the start of a long marathon ending with a lavish dinner he ordered to have delivered earlier.


	4. Chapter 4

One week, all he had was a single week before another press tour tearing him from you for possibly weeks at a time. Sure you could just skip but that was more traumatic each time it seemed and he hoped to spare you from it again. You were reluctant to play with the string again for fear of worsening the inner doubts of the man unfortunately stuck with you so in his time at home you indulged his wish to spend as much time with you as he could. Between films and lounging about while he read the rest of the book aloud to you random naps were taken with him sprawled out as close to you as he could muster, each time worsening the uncomfortable prickling in your body where his limbs would be resting. Silently you bore it as it meant you got more time with this perfect man forever parted from you, seemingly destined to never be more than your Soul Buddy.

The final night together read across Richard’s face and by the time he made it up the elevator he had chugged nearly half the bottle of whiskey he had bought. Once inside you eyed him in his tipsy grin and slightly swaying steps headed for the coffee table where he left the bottle and bag of liquor on his path to find a pair of glasses. Wetting his lips he set the glasses out and filled them, sliding one closer to you, “I realized something. We’ve had weeks together and I’ve shared little to nothing about myself. So, twenty questions, and we have to answer honestly.”

Time seemed to blur and through a haze of serious questions more teasing and heated questions bubbled out between your alternating shots as you answered them. A single question tipped the game though, when the game moved from the floor to the couch, a question of his dream partner was answered with a simple, “You.” That jaw dropping answer ended with what was hoped to be a calming explanation that died with his hand resting on your curled thigh parting his own lips. “I can touch you!”

A cup of the cheek was followed by the other being cradled as well stirring up a gaze from you lulling him to lean in and plant his lips on yours. Hastily he drew back, or tried to, only to be tugged into a fiery kiss from you in return. For all your wishes to remain locked in this tangled embrace forever a break for air was needed and panting above you Richard clutched your legs wrapped around his sides to carry you off to bed. Drunken dream or kindness fate had bestowed upon you a firm planting of you into the mattress was followed by his melting above you and lips seeking yours out again through his fingers gliding across your palms and up between your fingers to lock on.

In a tangled mess you wove yourself until the liquor seemed to hit Richard twice as hard all at once stirring a deadlock between him and his eyelids. The solution from him, to climb under the covers with you in his arms to hold through the night.

.

Loudly the smack of Richard’s hand on his alarm clock startled you awake. In the second after his body folded tightly around you, his head nuzzling into your hair through a deep rumbling exhale, still feeling the effects of the whiskey enabling his fading ability to touch you. Lowly he hummed into your hair, “I don’t want to leave.”

Giggling softly you turned in his arms spreading his grin as it meant he got to lay over you again. A shifting mess later he was between your legs wrapping them around his hips peppering a warm trail of kisses along the arch of your neck, “You do have to go. Can’t have you miss your flight.” Again he left a passionate press of his lips onto your neck and you said, “I’ll make coffee as you shower.”

Raising his head he hummed on his path to claim your lips, “I don’t want coffee.” Cupping your cheeks through another breathtaking seemingly endless kiss a ring of his phone tore apart.

Tearing your lips from his you said, “Answer your phone and get ready. I’ll start on breakfast.”

Signing deeply he rolled over letting you up in his reach for his phone, his mumbled conversation carried on through the penthouse on your way to start breakfast as he climbed up to get in a quick shower.

.

Fresh brewed pot of coffee and omelet later the fresh smelling man came up behind you, setting you on the counter to melt against you in another passionate embrace. “Oh I hope you pop up in my hotel rooms.”

You giggled saying, “I think you could use a break from me.”

He shook his head, “And if you don’t I’m coming back and getting wasted again,” his eyes shifted to his hand starting to pass through your cheek urging on another fiery lip lock, “Then I’m gonna spend a week kissing you.”

“You are doing no such thing. One night and then you pamper yourself. I cannot be the reason your kidneys or liver fail. Then where would we be?”

He grinned wider after stealing another peck on your lips at your hands passing through his upper arms, “We could haunt the place together.”

You smirked up at him, “What happened to your coma comments?”

He chuckled, “Until you wake up, then I’ll just haunt you for a change.”

“Not helping things. Now eat and finish packing.”

Agonizingly once fed and packed another pausing moment just barely from your lips drew a sigh from Richard before the reluctant parting without another impossible kiss to claim.

.

Once shut you imagined that door to snap you ahead in time weeks ahead only blankly you paced around the apartment uncertain of what to do watching the sun move across the sky. Though again soon enough as it hit noon the door opened again and in your eager pop into the living room your mood dropped seeing the man on his cell phone saying, “Alright I’m just making one last stop and then I’m taking my own flight.”

Curiously you followed the stranger who collected a few random items he added to a bag slung on his shoulder, “No, I am certain. No Richard cannot commit to those dates. No something about going to see his partner.”

Instantly your jaw dropped and backwards you staggered onto the bed staring dumbly at the ground, “I didn’t either but he does enjoy his privacy. Supposedly she’s in the States now so they can spend more time together. He has been so down lately hopefully she can snap him out of it.” Through his final sentence he had moved to the door continuing the slew of planned events coming up.

Shaking your head you whispered over the locks clicking again, “Of course he’s in a relationship. How fucking stupid am I…” sniffling through the filling of your eyes with tears you choked out, “What could I possibly offer someone like him…”

Folding in half over your now curled legs you sobbed to yourself, “Wake up, I can’t stay here….Please let me wake up.” For seemingly hours you sobbed and sobbed growing colder by the second until the screeching of an alarm that jolted your eyes open.

_*.*.*_

_In a seat on a packed bus you shook your head remembering you were on your way to work, mentally working on your next message to your online dream man you imagined to care for you past friendship and a friendly face. A turn of your head brought an eager boy and his wave into your attention with his backpack still snuggly on his shoulders. A blur of a signed conversation later and a glint of silver drew your eyes upwards. Straight at you a truck was charging and as fast as you could you clutched the boy to your chest, folding around him tightly and waiting for impact._

_An oddly white paneled ceiling was your first sight. An odd weight on your chest held you in place as your hand clenched around whatever was in your palm. Loud footsteps sounded and a door was thrown open for a strange woman in scrubs to come into your vision that slowly focused. In a muffled haze you caught a few words, “You’re safe….Hospital….There’s a tube in your throat… you can’t talk…”_

_A wry chuckle failed to leave your lips and you mentally replied, “No problem.” Then again your mind wandered to whatever you had just seen. Those supposed intimate moments with your dream guy, just a dream, all imagined painfully for your aching heart at the lack of his presence as the woman called for a doctor and signaled another nurse to call your brother in law and niece at your waking._

_A basic check of your functions was done and the overly eager doctor raced in, seemingly from bed in his disheveled state ready for a more thorough check once he had guided the tube out of your throat, satisfied that you could breathe on your own again, and to ease your struggle against the foreign object there. “Now you may be hoarse for a few days. So just rest your voice we’ll find a way to talk.”_

_A notepad and pen were found and as your body warmed up you easily answered their questions by writing them out and slid onto another gurney to take you for the first of your scans, after which you spotted your brother in law, Drew, who raced to your side with his daughter behind him. Weakly you raised your arms to sign, “You will not believe the dream I had.”_

_Folding around you on the bed they focused on your story and helps you until you were taken off again only to be brought back to your first solid-ish meal of unappetizing lime jello._

_“Awful.” With your tongue stuck out you set the empty cup down signing to your brother, “Somebody go sneak me a pizza.”_

_He chuckled replying, “No pizza. Have to go easy on your throat.”_

_Rolling your eyes you replied, “If Richard were here he would get me pizza.”_

_Drew chuckled again replying, “I am certain he would.” After another chuckle he added while adjusting the blanket over your lap, “Though sis, you need to remember, follow the rules now-,”_

_Cutting him off you finished the sentence for him, “And tomorrow I’m free.”_

_Drew chuckled and your niece added and in sign, “The Doctor did say after a few more tests you could head home in the morning.”_

_You nodded again and stretched after signing, “Then I can take a shower and break into my pj’s.” Your eyes locked with Drew’s, “Oh, I have a few more ideas for the film.”_

_He grinned and took the notepad you had filled a few pages worth of ideas he read through and assess a few notes of his own to you would pass on the next day when you got home to the anxious producers daily calling for progress on you. All thrilled to have heard your near waking a few times this past week alone stirring the thought to leave a call button in your palm for if you did wake up alone._

_._

_Snuggly in Drew’s arms you were lifted into the back of the taxi he and his daughter squeezed in around you for the ride to your place. A simple brownstone duplex was where it took you and with your arms around his neck you climbed the stairs snuggled against his chest for the walk inside your impossibly homey abode. Warmly it welcomed you and straight up you went to shower and change into your pjs as you had planned, but still in your towel you paused in the closet finding Tiberius there staring up at you with a pleased swish of his tail._

_Crouching down you rubbed his head hoarsely whispering, “How did you get in here? Rio must be worried sick.”_

_A smoothing of his cheek against your palm mater and your eyes locked in his seeing the familiar bright green pupil free stare up at you as a deep chuckle sounded from the cat who turned arching against your legs and vanished with a swish of his tail against your knee. Blankly you stared at the carpet and stood nodding as you whispered, “Ok. Just, not gonna logic this one. Teleporting, chuckling cat. No big deal.” Exhaling slowly you found the clothes you wanted and pulled on and made your way to your bed, hanging up your towel along the way._

_Drew was off to work to share the news and your ideas while his daughter made a store run leaving you alone and staring at your Twitter and tumblr feeds uncertain of what to say. A simple snap of the sunlight falling over a bouquet of Gummy bears from the producers at your show later you posted the image without any words just to see what would happen. And sure enough the notices racked up as the questions as to who posted on your page grew, but none so far from your supposed Soul Buddy._

_You scrolled through his page and to your shock, your coffee shop video was real, as were the clips from the pool party at Lee’s, so you couldn’t be completely crazy. Perhaps your family shared the clips with you and your mind just filled in the gaps? Either way you pondered just what to type as you stared at the feeds you were scrolling through alone on your bed._

.*.*.

A week had come and gone. Richard begrudgingly slumped himself out of bed each day and into fresh layers, grateful for another day closer to being back home with you. All night his thoughts lingered around you while again through the days he scrolled through your old conversations and social pages, lingering on your pictures taking in the differences between you in his penthouse at your figure four years in the past compared to now. Subtle changes but with so much more confidence his mind kept lingering on the chance of how he could spend time with you once you finally woke up, a hope he clung to deep down in his heart of a future with you.

Almost forgotten he turned the page in his digital book to learn sign language on his iPad he had picked up for him. Each word he tried to etch into his mind hoping he could impress you with a sentence, no matter how ridiculous it would be. It was purchased in the last week you were gone and in your time apart he used the ache for you to help fuel his desire to learn this language hoping to make you proud.

.

One week gone, soon shifted into two and just three days past that Richard’s brows furrowed back stage at an early morning interview eyeing the sudden post from you. “Gummy Bears,” he mumbled to himself then turned his head to the woman beside him.

“Two minutes.” He nodded his head at her slipping away and switched his phone on silent then slid it into his pocket to anxiously await his name being called to step out for a simple interview that would free him to figure out just how to handle your possible awakening.

.

“Richard. We’ve covered work and your past roles however I am curious to know a bit more about your future.”

His brow inches up with a curious grin, “Which aspect of my future?”

Her grin spread, “I know a few ladies here at least were curious if there might be any serious plans towards settling down in your future.”

He chuckled lowly and glanced at his hands crossed on the table between him and the council of women then up at her again, “I, I can’t really say much, however there is someone very special to me whom I would very much love to spend a great deal more time with once I get back home again. I can’t really say much more than that it’s still absurdly early on and I don’t want to risk it.”

‘Oohs’ filled the room from the ladies at the table and in the audience at the next string of questions hoping to learn more about the assumed lady in question only to go vaguely answered or to be skirted around until time was called and he stood to head back stage allowing their next guest to ready for their own entrance.

A pat on his shoulder turned his head and a sudden shift in plans had him heading off to another interview nearby pushing off his question of your status till later.

Hours he lingered through his schedule until he got to his designated car and he eyed his phone again. A nip at his lip later he fired off a simple message, “Home again, Darling? Please let me know how you’re doing.”

..*..

_A soft squeak left you at the post dinner snuggling bout of reading you had planned, nestled in the pile of pillows and warm blankets on your bed another chime of your phone brought the message to your attention. Nipping at your lip you counted out the dates remembering your last dreamed night together now nearly three weeks past. Switching to your messages you typed back a simple response, “Back home. Snuggled up with a new book. Enjoying your travels?”_

.

Chuckling to himself Richard nipped at his lip, uncertain of how to touch the subject of your time together without seeming insane he simply replied, “Just wish I was home again.” The moment he fired off the message his heart sunk knowing that now you most certainly wouldn’t be waiting for him when he returned. Wetting his lips he added, “I should let you rest. Have to catch a flight. Talk tomorrow?”

A low chuckle came from him as he read your response, _“Only if it won’t interfere with your work. Safe travels.”_

…

Another week came and went and at his own worries for how to handle this across the distance he unconsciously fell into a silence between you both aching in his lonely days and nights alone at a loss for how to mend this. Yet again he strolled through the streets after his latest trip for a dreaded stop to try and pick out some more clothes for himself. Empty handed he strolled out of the second store only to pause at the opening of a taxi door just barely twenty feet ahead of him.

Stunning legs were followed by an equally as jaw dropping figure on a dark haired woman with the brightly colored lower half of her curls peeking through her sleek ponytail. Instantly his heart skipped seeing the beaded white sleeveless cocktail dress covering to the base of your neck that ended at your mid thigh. Clearly you were on a date as the blazer clad man stepping out of the taxi behind you eased his arm around your shoulders with a possessive grip on your upper arm in the stroll into the restaurant he was guiding you to.

Without pause at all Richard turned following you and the dark haired man with a crooked nose just like his, the more he stared the more he hated it, broader and more muscular than him, the list seemed to grow and grow. A few moments pause was taken and across the room from you he was seated at a table alone thankfully placed in an empty shot to watch you subtly without the massive crowds you had missed by a couple hours.

Without a word to you the man eyed his menu he then closed and passed over after having fired off a message on his phone. Still on his phone he typed away in the seat to your left, ignoring you as you cheerfully thanked the staff bringing you your choice of wine, an oddly sweet brand tightening Richard’s brows having tried it before leaving him curious why you would choose it. A choice he blindly copied as he gave his simple dinner order as well.

Grilled chicken and veggies, the special for the day you had also chosen while your date, without having spoken a word found himself with a steak dinner. A simple grin eased onto your lips thanking the man bringing you the meal as you laid your napkin across your lap, raising your fork and knife in the process as the man kept typing away.

Steadily he continued to eat his food pretending to be reading something on his own phone screen until after his bill was paid he eyed his chance. A tap of a finger on your wrist was given at the chime of the man’s phone who then left to head over to the phones by the hall for the toilets. Up out of his seat he made his way over to your table, straight into the empty seat beside you on your right he settled into it.

Turn of your head brought your stunned expression to his attention along with his urge to kiss you senseless flared up again, “This is absolutely insane and I would never do this, however, I have to say this. I am so thrilled to see you again.” Just barely your lips parted, “There are no words to explain how deeply I care for you and how painful it has been without you.” In the corner of your vision you noticed the turn of your dinner date noticing you weren’t alone anymore, wetting his lips Richard placed his hand over yours resting on the table, “You deserve to be on the arm of someone who cares about you senselessly. And now you’re out here eating with some man who wouldn’t even give you a single glance or say a single word to you!”

On your left the chair was eased out again and a grin eased onto your lips at Richard’s straightening up and fingers curling under the palm his hand was covering in the shift of his eyes to the man you gestured to now grinning at the recognized actor’s face. “Richard, my brother in law,” his eyes darted between you before he watched your left hand raise to spell out his name, “Drew.” Wetting your lips as Richard let go of your hand you added, “Drew, no doubt knows who you are.”

A wry chuckle left Drew and lowly while signing he spoke, “Have you told him yet?”

Rolling your eyes you felt Richard’s eyes landing on you with a smirk, “Tell me? Tell me what?”

With a sigh you looked to Drew who added through a smirk, “You tell him or I will.”

Wetting your lips you said, “I had a dream we were roommates.”

Richard’s grin tripled in his playful asking, “Oh really? Nothing else?”

A flinch of your eyes narrowing gave him the hope that you had known exactly what you had shared, you shook your head, “Other than helping a band of ghosts, not really.”

He chuckled then glanced to you asking, “Is this your typical stop out to eat then?”

You shook your head, “Had to stop in for a small interview and a drop by to see the producers on the new film we’re shooting in a few months.”

“Back to work already?” He asked with his brows raised making you chuckle to yourself.

“Yes. Well we’ve been planning it a while and it has a seasonal twist to it.”

Richard, “Ooh.” He glanced to your brother, “Are you in the films?”

Drew shook his head, “No, but I do write the scripts.” His hands signed out a few more words making Richard look to you.

Rolling your eyes you translated, “Pause for laughter.”

Richard’s brow inched up curiously in a weak chuckle, “What?”

Shaking your head you smirked and answered, “Inside joke.”

Drew chuckled shaking his head, “No joke, when we started out I said I wrote the scripts,”

His eyes sank to his buzzing phone on the table as Richard finished the sentence, “Then, pause for laughter…” Turning his head he looked you over again asking, “Busy day?”

Drew grinned seeing you both stealing glances of the other before he tapped your wrist again then said, “Bell needs me, we have to set up the travel plans for filming. You two have fun.” He added leaving the bills for dinner on the table grinning at you as he walked around you, stealing a peck on your forehead on his way out.

Richard’s smirk spread across his face when your eyes met again, excitedly he wet his lips then asked, “If you aren’t busy, we might be able to catch the next showing of Incredibles 2?”

With a shrug you replied, “I suppose it’s no Lake House, but it’s worth a go.”

A low chuckle left Richard and he stood offering his hand to help you onto your feet that folded around yours adoringly in the path out to the street where he flagged down a taxi for you both and held his grin sliding in beside you giving the theater’s address he had picked out for your first date when he first offered it. Nice and cozy, no large crowds from what he can tell giving him ample chances to hold you. Inside he subtly inched closer to you folding his fingers between yours with a deepening smirk as he hummed by your ear, “You are not going to believe who I ran into on my press tour.”

“Who?”

“Keanu,” making your brow inch up through his low chuckle, “Who said he would love to meet you.”

“Can’t imagine that being an easy thing to explain, how you know me.”

Wetting his lips he lowly asked through your stunned pause, “What happened when I left?”

“Oh. I, I overheard the guy who came to get your things you had a partner you hadn’t seen in a while.”

His lips parted through a disbelieving scoff, “I can’t believe-,” shaking his head his eyes locked with yours, “There’s no one, since my ex you have been the only woman I’ve cared for, for years now.”

You forced out a weak chuckle, “So another misunderstanding on my part.”

Bumping his forehead to yours he hummed back lifting your mood, “You’re awake now. No need to get trashed to have you to myself.”

Passing over the cash he helped you out of the taxi to guide you to the ticket booth for the tickets where you held your place in line trying to ignore the few people stealing pictures of you both.

Peering down at you his steady adoring gaze spread a blush over your cheeks until you glanced up at him to ask, “Why are you staring at me like that?”

Releasing your hand he timidly signed stirring an awkward grin on your face, “I missed my Soul Buddy.”

In a giggle you asked, “You really studied?”

“I can say a few things.” Making you giggle again, the gentle brush of his fingers on your cheek silenced you and he hummed lowly tapping his forehead to yours, “Hopefully I can make you proud with my studying.” The intimate brushing of his nose to yours was interrupted at the shift in the line at the large group heading inside with tickets in hand.

Sure enough your picture spread like wildfire and of course a question of distance for your upcoming role was silenced at the forming of an offer to fill the role of a handsome stranger that eases into your character’s life. Oblivious to all of that you strolled in hand in hand to choose your snacks and then head in to chose your seats where he grinned at being able to wrap you in his coat and in his arms through the film.

In the cool evening air he led you to another taxi that took you home again, outside your stoop he paused ignoring the cameramen clearly now following the pair of you. Snuggly he pulled his coat back around you humming as he took in the sight of you fully in front of him in the last golden light of the day, “Keep it. I don’t want you to be cold anymore.”

“Thank you,” was all that could come out of you stirring a chuckle from him as he brushed his fingers along your cheek again through a deepening loving gaze.

“Would you let me kiss you?”

“What about the cameras. Thought you preferred your privacy.”

Shaking his head he closed the distance, “As long as I get to be yours, none of that matters. Let them watch.” In your inch up higher on your toes his eyes clamped shut in the warm kiss he melted into, folding you in his arms snuggly against his chest.


End file.
